Bono has revealed how U2 still works together as a band after more than four decades, describing the group as a “democracy” where everyone contributes — even if The Edge tends to have the last word.
In a new interview, the U2 frontman joked that the Irish rock icons operate more like a balanced political system than a dictatorship.
“Bloody democracy,” Bono said. “Thom Yorke from Radiohead says, ‘A band is like the United Nations, except I’m America.’ But U2 is an actual democracy. We all listen to each other, and then do what Edge says.”
Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. have been playing together since 1976, with the band becoming one of the most successful acts in music history.
Stories of Surrender: Bono’s Apple TV+ Film
The singer is the subject of Stories of Surrender, a new Apple TV+ documentary capturing his one-man theatre show in New York in 2023. The film blends music, monologue and memoir — though Bono suspects his bandmates may not have been fully invested in it.
“I think Larry only likes Westerns,” Bono said. “Adam said he liked the moonwalk, so I think perhaps he was looking at a different film.”
The Edge, however, has remained supportive throughout.
“He’s always there,” Bono said. “He’s so supportive, especially when he sees me be open or be vulnerable, which is our definition of art.”
Bono also shared that the show was inspired by John Lennon’s fearless approach to storytelling.
“It was always, ‘Break open the ribcage, show what’s the heart, let it bleed.’ That was the John Lennon way. So it starts with heart surgery.”
U2 Want to Make the “Sound of the Future”
Speaking recently on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Bono confirmed that U2 are back in the studio and determined to create something bold and forward-thinking.
“We’ve been in the studio and you’ve sometimes got to deal with the past to get to the present, in order to make the sound of the future. That’s what we want to do.”
Even after decades at the top, he says the band’s ambition hasn’t faded.
“It’s the sound of four men, who feel like their lives depend on it,” he said. “I remind them, they do. Nobody needs a new U2 album unless it’s an extraordinary one. I’m feeling very strong about it.”
